Muggleborns choosing WW

[kjirstem]

No: HPFGUIDX 118141




<snips earlier paragraphs...> 
> Pippin wrote:
>
> >I do wonder about the person who has the potential to be a
> >skillful surgeon or a brilliant software engineer, but has only a
> >mediocre magical talent. Are they really better off in the WW? It's
> >fun to wish we were witches and wizards, but the law of
> >averages predicts that half of us will be less talented than the
> >other half.
> 
> Ffred:
> If someone has the potential but it's unrealised, then it may well 
> be that
> they know no better. If they _already_ have begun to develop their
> potential, then I suspect that they would be able to contribute to 
>WW society just as to Muggle society: a potential computer whiz would
> have the kind of mindset that could take research into spell 
>development in directions which would seem obvious to our eyes but
>would be inconceivable to the notorious illogic of the WW

kjirstem:

I think there are other things to consider about an individual's
contribution to society in the WW or the Muggle world.  Because of the
International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, magic cannot be used to
solve problems in the Muggle world.  Since magic is what wizards are
trained in, and since more mundane knowledge is not cultivated after
age 11, their skills are not of use to the rest of the world.  To me,
this seems to limit the scope of what a wizard or witch can
accomplish.  There are a lot more Muggles than people in the WW,
regardless of the calculation method used for the WW population.  So,
a person with talents that are fundamentally non-magical might be able
to do a lot more good in the Muggle world.    

The interesting thing, I think, is that the breach between the Muggle
and magic worlds doesn't seem to be in the WW's best interests.  (At
least now, maybe it was in 1692.)  The WW is probably somewhat
dependent on the Muggle world for food, and manfactured goods.  I
suspect the WW would be affected by dramatic changes in the Muggle
world, such as war or widespread disease.  Yet, the WW has little
effect on the Muggle world due to the Statute of Secrecy. 

The WW comes across as conservative and changing very little over time
(e.g. robes, forms of address at school, ghost Binns teaching
history).  I doubt there is much innovation in the use of magic; the
teaching methods appear to emphasize rote memorization.  Fred and
George are a break from this, they actually invent things.  But
generally, there is a recipe presented to the students and they 
learn the recipe rather than the reasons.  In addition, with fewer
people there are fewer ideas to try, therefore change occurs at a
slower pace.  On the other hand, since the break between the worlds
there have been substantial changes in what the Muggle world can
accomplish.  Eventually the Muggle world will catch up to or surpass
the WW in many ways; communication is already better in the Muggle
world than in the WW. 

The WW seems to exist to keep dangerous magical creatures and people
away from Muggles.  Sure, one result is that Muggles aren't harrassing
witches and wizards.  But, as Muggle technology advances, the balance
of power between the WW and the Muggle world gradually changes.  At
some point it may become impossible to keep the WW secret, and by then
the advantages that the WW could offer Muggles may be too small to be
an effective bargaining tool.  Re-integration at an earlier date, when
magic hasn't yet been outstripped by technology, could result in a 
higher status for the WW.   
 
kjirstem - who should really be doing something more constructive and
beneficial for society...arrgh.